Maddie

Hey, don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on.
Just do your best, do everything you can.
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts are gonna say.

Maddie approached Alistair before the rest of the camp awoke the next morning. "Alistair…could I talk to you?" She handed him a waterskin and a piece of bread. "Before we get started on our journey today?"

Alistair grinned up at her from his bedroll and pulled on his boots. "Absolutely my lady. After you so kindly answered my foolish questions last night it's the least I can do."

"Your questions weren't foolish." Maddie watched as he took a bite of bread. "Mine might be though."

"I'll answer any question you ask me, no matter how foolish you think it is." He handed her the waterskin and rose to roll up his bedroll.

"First…thank you for…letting me sleep last night." Maddie cursed herself…she could feel herself blushing. "It's sort of a personal question…"

"Maddie," Alistair looked at her seriously. "I trust you. You can ask me anything and I'll answer."

The girl groaned as she stared into those blue eyes. "I can't believe I'm asking this…but…" She twisted her hands, looking around to be certain no one else was awake, especially her twin, or Zevran and Morrigan. "If you were raised in the Chantry, have you never...?"

Alistair gave her a sunny smile as he pulled a hunk of cheese from his pack and offered her a piece. "Never… Never what…had a good pair of shoes?"

Maddie could feel herself blushing as Alistair grinned at her. "You know what I mean."

"I'm not sure I do." Alistair popped a piece of cheese in his mouth, chewed and swallowed before replying. "Have I ever seen a basilisk? Ate jellied ham? Have I never licked a lamppost in the winter?" His blue eyes twinkled at her.

"Now you're making fun of me." Maddie put her hands on her hips, eyes sparkling with irritation as well as amusement and Alistair's grin widened.

"Make fun of you dear lady, perish the thought." The ex-Templar spread his hands innocently. "Well tell me, have you ever licked a lamppost in winter?"

Maddie felt her face go pink. There was something slightly wicked about Alistair's tone. "No, I never licked a lamppost in the winter." She blurted out her confession.

"Good, I hear it's quite painful, I remember one of the younger initiates did it on a dare once. And there was pointing and laughing…Oh, the humanity." He shook his head in mocking sorrow. "I myself have also never done it. That. Not that I haven't thought about it, of course, but…you know." He shrugged slightly uncomfortable but smiled at her still.

Maddie nodded encouragingly, not wanting to embarrass him. "You never had the opportunity?"

"Well living in the chantry is not exactly a life for rambunctious boys." Alistair offered. "They taught me to be a gentleman, especially in the presence of beautiful ladies such as yourself. That's not so bad is it?" He smiled hopefully.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Maddie almost forgot everything else Alistair had said in her blush of delight at the compliment.

"Of course you are." Her fellow Grey Warden treated that as a fact. "You are ravishing, resourceful and all those other things you'd... probably... hurt me... for... not... saying." His tone, for all its humor was also completely sincere.

Maddie looked at Alistair and her smile faded. "I would never hurt you." She couldn't say more than that, not without becoming far too forward, but the girl hoped the honesty of her tone would reassure the Knight.

"Nor I you, lady. Nor I you. Ever." His voice was soft, sincere, for silent moment the two Grey Wardens looked at each other. Then Alistair grinned at her teasingly. "Let us be off then lest your risqué talk make my ears blush."

Maddie grinned at him and looked around the camp. Morrigan was stirring near her lean to and no one else had yet roused themselves. "I'll get something started for breakfast. What do you think? Pease porridge? Or Oatmeal?"

"Either one is my favorite…at least the way you cook." He buckled on his breastplate and felt Maddie's hands slide over his back, untwisting a strap helpfully. "Which will Morrigan hate more…that's the question that drives my choice."

Maddie giggled as she held out his shoulder guard. "You're a bad bad man Alistair."

"I am totally unappreciated in my time." He strapped the guard on and found his gauntlets, setting them near his mess kit.

"Well I appreciate you." Maddie declared. "And I think oatmeal this morning…I've got some honey and raisins left to sweeten it."

"We can pick up some bacon in Denerim today." Zevran suggested as he emerged from his tent. "Bacon and cheese and bread makes a good roll for breakfast."

Maddie wrinkled her nose. "You can make that for us all tomorrow."

Alistair smiled. "Then Morrigan won't eat." He looked at Zevran. "How would you like to cook all the time?"

Maddie giggled and tapped her armor for Alistair to look over. "Am I all right?" She presented her back for him to inspect for loose or faulty coverage. After a moment she craned her head to look over her shoulder. "Alistair?" She asked, wondering why on earth his head jerked up so suddenly. "Is my armor all right?"

"Oh, uh yes…its fine." He nodded and moved over to stoke up the fire. "I'll get some water for the oatmeal."

TBC